Friday, Hazelwood residents gathered near the former Pittsburgh Recycling Services site to protest mounds of garbage that have been left since the facility’s owners walked away from the bankrupt operation in January.

"Get back here and clean up your dump,” the group chanted during the rally.

The group gathered near a large, inflatable rat. They said the garbage has lured a large number of rats to the area.

“We have rodents walking the street over here at night. You come outside and they are walking on Second Avenue,” said Hazel Blackman, who lives in Hazelwood.

"Obviously this is a hazard for the whole community,” said Corey O’Conner, Pittsburgh City Council member for District 5.

O’Conner said a court proceeding scheduled for Monday may clear the way for a new owner to take control of the property and clean it up. If not, he said he will pressure other city officials to take action.

"We can have one of our Public Works crews get in there and maybe get as much out as they possibly can,” O’Conner said.

"I don't care who. I just want someone to get out here and get this done,” Blackman said.

Many residents have taken it upon themselves to buy rat poison.

"I don't think that's right that we have to pay for someone else's mess that was left here,” Blackman said.

Others said they can’t help but wonder if this situation would be allowed to exist in other parts of the city,

“You wouldn't see this in a Mount Lebanon or Sewickley-type area,” Benovitch said. "There are people there who maybe have a little more influence or political pull."

The residents are also asking city leaders to require any new owner of this facility not to allow this situation to happen again in the future.

AMPLT . A MOUNTAIN OF GARBAGE RIGHT IN A PITTSBURGH NEIGHBORHOOD. NEIGHBORS SAY THIS MESS HAS BEEN LEFT TO ROT AND ATTRACT RATS. THEY WANT IT CLEANED UP AND CLEANED UP NOW. THIS IS GROSS. THIS IS NOT A STORY FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE A BIT SQUEAMISH. MATT IN THE CITY'S EAST SIDE NEIGHBORHOOD OF HAZELWOOD TO SHOW US WHAT'S CAUSING STINK. Reporter: IT'S NOT HARD TO SEE WHAT RESIDENTS HERE ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT. TAKE A LOOK. BIG PILES OF GARBAGE LEFT TO ROT FOR MOPNTHS AND THE PEOPLE SAY THEY HAVE HAD A ENOUGH. STANLEY SAYS IT'S BROUGHT A NEW PROBLEM. YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOOK FAR FROM HIS DOOR TO SEE WHAT HAE'S TALKING ABOUT. IT'S THE FOLKS ON BOTH SIDES AND THE RATS ARE SPREADING OUT. IT'S BECAUSE THEY HAVE BECOME A REAL HEALTH CONCERN AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED. GET BACK HERE AND CLEAN UP YOUR DUMP. Reporter: NEIGHBORS SAY SOMEONE NEEDS TO CLEAN IT UP. IT WAS ABANDONED IN JANUARY. SINCE THEN RATS HAVE INVADED THEIR COMMUNITY. THERE ARE RODENTS WALKING THE STREET. AT NIGHT THEY'RE WALKING ON SECOND AVENUE. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS HAZARD FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY. Reporter: CITY COUNCILMAN CORY SAID IT MAY CLEAR THE WAY FOR OO NEW OWNER TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE PROPERTY AND CLEAN IT UP. IF NOT. WE CAN HAVE ONE OF OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TO GO OUT AND GET AS MUCH AS THEY CAN. I WANT SOMEONE TO GET OUT HERE AND GET THIS DONE. Reporter: THE NEIGHBORS SAY THEY ARE TIRED OF WAITING. MANY HAVE TAKEN IT TO BUY RAT POISON. I DON'T THINK IT'S RIGHT THAT WE HAVE TO PAY FOR SOMEONE ELSE'S NAESZ WAS LEFT HERE. Reporter: SOME SAY THEY CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER IF THIS SITUATION WOULD BE ALLOWED TO EXIST IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY. YOU WOULDN'T SEE THIS WITH PEOPLE WITH A LITTLE MORE INFLUENCE AND POLITICAL PULL. Reporter: THE RESIDENTS ARE ASKING THE CITY TO REQUIRE ANY NEW OWNER NOT TO ALLOW THIS TYPE